187: Parents Just Don't Understand

[jemborg]

"Well it's true, the last generation usually can't grasp gaming and I have only one thing to say about that - it's their loss..."

Wait a minute there. I'm 46. I've played videogames since 1980. Yours isn't the videogame generation - OURS was. And it's not a generational gap - some folks (most folks) just don't like videogames - that's the same with twenty year-olds as it is with 40 year-olds or 80 year-olds. Everyone my age made a conscious decision to like or dislike videogames - it wasn't something we simply didn't have access to - pong was in arcades in the 1970s, console gaming and personal computers that played games were available in 1980. I had a ZX Spectrum PC and an Intellivision when I was a teenager - and MY dad (who was born in 1931) played games on both. So let's just stop this 'parents can't grasp gaming' nonsense. Maybe yours can't, but mine could and my daughter has a dad who plays videogames much more than she does.

Hear bloody hear... I'm 49, I find that remark asinine as well. You pretty well said what I wanted to say. I was in the 8 bit wars too. AND have plenty of mates who are still into it.

Funny, before my old man died I showed him a few games on the Xbox. He was fascinated at 91! I avoided WW2 games as he was actually in that for real. But he was amazed to see a soccer game like Redcard for instance... "see pop, you can dial up the awareness of the referee". lol. I miss the old guy.

Not everybody who doesn't play video games sneer... they're just not into it much. My wife's not that keen- except for Ninja Gaiden or Burnout, then it's "hey woman, it's my turn now!". heheh.

Practice makes perfect, it hard to keep the skills up to compete, when you actually have to spend time irl to look after the ungrateful little sods.

Just before the release of the PS2, I was chatting about it with an older brother- "meh", he said, "I'd rather just get a DVD player". "That's the thing", I replied, "I get to choose whether my TV entertainment will be active or just passive"...

Then, he got it.

This appears to be what both of you have missed:

i guess the key word is "usually" here though

We all know that arguments from personal experience are severely flawed when attempting to prove common trends, I don't know why your hurt pride has to get in the way of seeing the point.


Enjoyable article all the same. Goldeneye was the game that my father and I bonded over, and we played the Bond games on the PS2 for a while after that. But he just plays the Wii now, more intensive games can give him headaches.

Sorry mate but you are flaming idiot. Talk about playing miss the point! ROFLMAO get a life. I have no real hurt pride, else why would I have used humour? We were addressing a ignorant remark. I have no idea why you took offence. Perhaps it's a need to patronize your elders for some reason. You choose to read anger into it. Jesus Christ on a bike, of course it was anecdotal. So was the original article! hahahaha

My generation was the videogame generation... we didn't just grasp it...we invented it! lol Beery is right! Jursa's comment is invalid.

So? I respectably disagree with spyrewolf when he says the point is moot... it's just wrong (ie. not "usual"). But, don't "have a cow" about it.

 

[Beery]

This appears to be what both of you have missed:

spyrewolf:
"i guess the key word is "usually" here though"

No. You're the one missing the point. Because the full quote is:

"Well it's true, the LAST GENERATION usually can't grasp gaming and I have only one thing to say about that - it's their loss..."

This makes it into a generational issue when it's just not. It has nothing to do with how old you are. EVERY generation "usually" can't grasp gaming. Gaming is a minority pursuit. To say it's a generational thing is simply wrong. I could just as easily say that youngsters 'usually' can't grasp gaming - that would be true too, but it would give the SAME false and prejudiced impression that the earlier post gave - that one generation is less attuned to gaming than another.

The main reason why gamers' parents don't understand gaming is that MOST PEOPLE don't understand gaming. Therefore, the chances are, if you're a gamer your parents won't be gamers, so they won't 'get it'. It has nothing to do with a generation gap. Guess what else - when you have kids THEY probably won't grasp gaming either, because gamers are rare in any generation, plus you'll have the added problem caused by the fact that the pursuits you think are cool will be avoided by them, because most kids think their parents are almost entirely uncool.

The other issue that the "can't grasp gaming" guy gets wrong is that it's not like gaming was invented with the videogame. Heck, gaming has been a hobby for centuries. The Romans gamed for Heaven's sake! Our parents and grandparents grew up with tabletop wargames, boardgames and all sorts of games. I remember going to my grandad's house one time to find him and his friends deeply involved in a pen-and-paper game. My grandad was born in 1902 and he was an avid gamer. For gamers of my generation and older, videogames were an exciting proposition because we would no longer have to memorize rulebooks the size of Belgium when playing a strategy game. If anything, gamers my age and older adapted willingly to videogaming, because the paper alternative was so darned cumbersome.

 

[Arcyde]

my father loves video games


he got me into gaming

 

[Myzlo]

I'm currently going to college to become a visual effects artist in gaming and movies, and I found this article truly summarizes my father's view on games. What really got my attention was the comments his father makes about the textures and the character movements in the games he played. While my father does this same routine when he watches a snippet of me gaming, I also find he will pick apart something I make in 3D for class as well. While what I view looks great in my eyes, my father has a different perspective on things. What I think looks truly realistic in gaming terms, my father thinks looks fake and even cringe worthy at times. I find this isn't because he's looking for things to critic, rather, he doesn't give any leeway for things I let go, because while I compare it to how things used to be and how far they've come, he simply sees graphics trying to impersonate reality. This is what has driven me to create work that looks so realistic, when thrown into a scene, he doesn't even notice it. In my opinion, people that view video games the way my father does, are partially the reason why things have come as far as they have today. While gamers like me forgive the minor errors because of the overall presentation of a game, people like my father will always view a game through different eyes, and in this way inspire people like myself to try harder.
Take my story for what it is or leave it to gather dust, but I still think that that this "generational gap" is what has helped the gaming community become as strong as it has, no matter what system you started out on.

 

[Beery]

But the 'gaming generational gap' is a myth. You can find the dismissive attitude towards gaming among any group. It's not just parents. Heck, go to any high school and you'll see the cliques of gamers and non-gamers. The gamers think the non-gamers don't get it and the non-gamers think the gamers are dweebs.

Any minority hobby will get criticized by those who aren't into it, and if you're a kid, those people not into it won't be your friends - after all, you're their friend because they're into the same things you are. No, most likely those people who aren't into your hobby will be your parents.

It has nothing to do with an older generation that's somehow not into games. That non-gamer older generation doesn't exist. It's a fantasy created by folks who are confused about how probability works. The probability works like this - if you have a hobby that the majority doesn't share an interest in, the folks who are around you by chance rather than by choice probably will not share a love for your hobby.

It's (fairly) simple mathematics.

 

[Irridium]

Actually, thats how my dad and I bonded. Games.

not that anyone cares but he is a construction worker, has been for as long as I can remember. He was too tired to play with me outside and stuff, so instead he bought a copy of DOOM for the PC and I used to sit on his lap and shoot while he moved. It was the best and is how I got started playing games. We did that pretty much every night. Even nowadays my dad and I play games together. My parents are divorced so whenever I visited him I brought my xbox and later my 360. He really like the Crimson Sky and Rainbow Six games. When I moved to Vermont he even asked if he could have my xbox and a few games. I let him and he still plays them from time to time.

That may be just a special case for me but it goes to show, not all parents don't get video games.

 

[Dapsen]

I hope my parents never buy a Wii too.

i hope i never buy a wii....

 

[Auron555]

My dad and I play WoW together. It's fun times.

 

[Baneat]

My dad doesn't play games, but he is understanding enough to have spent at least £3000 on it in the last few years, so I say leave off him, will ya? He was mighty impressed with Crysis' graphics, though.

 

[Hunde Des Krieg]

Just goes to show we'll be the best generation of parents in world history...

 

[WolfLordAndy]

While my mother has never had interest in games (until recently, where she now does her daily Brain Training on the DS we got my dad for christmas) my dad does enjoy the odd bit here and there.

It somewhat shocked my school friend when they came back to my place to play on the N64 to find that while I was winning either Mario Kart, Golden Eye or Pefect Dark (yes, I'm one of those guys) my dad was usually second, or putting up a damned good fight! None of there parents ever gave more then a nod at games. It also makes me think back at how understanding and good they were. My dad played Perfect Dark a good way through before allowing me to play or even watch it, due to the 18 rating of the game. He deemed that it didn't really need it, and a few splodes of red pixels wern't going to do me any harm.

Must say though, its quite amusing when my mum or dad come in and I'm playing WAR or some shooter on my PC with my headset on, shouting away, and they jsut watch until I die or somesuch, waiting before talking to me. I think I owe much for such patience!

 

[Socken]

I remember we used to have a Sega Master System or something back in the day, and my mother and I would spend hours on Sonic the Hedgehog 1 through 3. (To this day she is the only one in the family who was able to beat the first game (Probably because it's been around 10 years since that console was last put to use but oh well, it's a cool thing to say I guess)) My father never really got into Sonic, mostly because he was at work most of the time my mother and I were playing.
Then later though, we got a Nintento 64 and my dad would even be late for work one day, because the two of us were so hooked on Mario Kart 64.
Those were the only gaming experiences I can think of with my parents though, but at least they're not completely opposed to it. Although I think the stuff said in the article about parents only seeing games as a pastime diversion may be true (at least in my parents' case), since the only time I see them play a game from time to time now is on my sister's Wii.

Or maybe they're satisfied with their respective success in gaming (i.e. beating Egghead in Sonic 1, or winning the gold in the Star Cup 150cc) and feel that they've done enough.

Nevertheless, great article. Definitely hit some of the problems right on the head.

 

[ArcadianTrance]

I don't have that problem in fact watching my mom, dad, and older brother play them as an impressinable infant is part of the reason I love games as much as I do now. That and the fact that I could fit my hands around a SNES contoller (and there for play) shortly after learning to walk.

 

[Fingolfin High-King of the Noldor]

My Dad said he would like to play games like Halo and other FPS's but he thinks they are too complicated.

 

[Dean Reilly]

Family wise, my lot have always been really supportive of me gaming. Admittedly, more so when I got a job writing about games. More so still when I got a job *teaching* games, but never the less, the support was there!

 

[jemborg]

I'm currently going to college to become a visual effects artist in gaming and movies, and I found this article truly summarizes my father's view on games. What really got my attention was the comments his father makes about the textures and the character movements in the games he played. While my father does this same routine when he watches a snippet of me gaming, I also find he will pick apart something I make in 3D for class as well. While what I view looks great in my eyes, my father has a different perspective on things. What I think looks truly realistic in gaming terms, my father thinks looks fake and even cringe worthy at times. I find this isn't because he's looking for things to critic, rather, he doesn't give any leeway for things I let go, because while I compare it to how things used to be and how far they've come, he simply sees graphics trying to impersonate reality. This is what has driven me to create work that looks so realistic, when thrown into a scene, he doesn't even notice it. In my opinion, people that view video games the way my father does, are partially the reason why things have come as far as they have today. While gamers like me forgive the minor errors because of the overall presentation of a game, people like my father will always view a game through different eyes, and in this way inspire people like myself to try harder.
Take my story for what it is or leave it to gather dust, but I still think that that this "generational gap" is what has helped the gaming community become as strong as it has, no matter what system you started out on.

Can I ask, does your dad like animation at all? See for me it's not really about a push towards more realism- though I respect what you are trying to do and I'm sure you work hard at it.

You see, it's about an exercise in creativity in my opinion. And yes I have always loved cartoons/amimation, I don't see myself as "giving leeway" for the artists at all. One can draw a parallel in modern history. Once the techniques for verisimilitude were worked out in the Reconnaissance, it really took over in painting right up until photography was invented, then there was a movement AWAY from realism. Technology has dictated the constraints placed on artifice in videogame graphics and of course there would be greater attempts at photo-realism as the power increased. People are gonna say "we can do this now". If you reached a stage where you could imitate reality perfectly then would probably be a trend away from it towards something more stylised, like we see with cel-shading.

If it was only about graphics- then I would go with your father; but it's not, it's about gameplay- its mes en scene. There is no generational gap here, it's just your dad.

There are movie critics out there who just don't like animation- and they are quite unabashed about it. My grandfather (mum's dad) absolutely HATED movies themselves!... except if they featured busty bawdy May West. ROFL (true, we used to laugh about it).

 

[Myzlo]

There are movie critics out there who just don't like animation- and they are quite unabashed about it. My grandfather (mum's dad) absolutely HATED movies themselves!... except if they featured busty bawdy May West. ROFL (true, we used to laugh about it).

Who doesn't like May West, I ask you, lol. To answer your question jemborg, even though I haven't really sat down and asked my dad nor have I taken a substantial amount of time to think about it, in retrospect I would say that my father is impartial.

He does not hate nor like, but simply view. Being that he loves the show Johnny Bravo (great show if you get the chance to watch it, but the first few seasons are the only good ones) and enjoys a quality CG movie from time to time, I would think his observations are merely that, his own personal observations. For me though they always seemed to strike a chord. As a youth your always trying to justify your choices to your parents (or at least I did, god knows I shouldn't speak on every ones behalf).

Usually though he criticized games trying to look very real, games like Fallout 3, where texturing issues or stiff characters were usually pointed out. But the projection of a persons body 10 feet skyward from a grenade explosion were met with my dad's official decree of "That was awesome! How did you do that?!". Really it comes down to what catches a persons interest.

 

[Tharticus]

Sometimes I question my parents on why they continue bugging me that I play video games. They nag me saying video games are for children and still deny that there are alot of mature games that feature gore and violence that shouldn't even advertised to children.

 

[jemborg]

There are movie critics out there who just don't like animation- and they are quite unabashed about it. My grandfather (mum's dad) absolutely HATED movies themselves!... except if they featured busty bawdy May West. ROFL (true, we used to laugh about it).

Who doesn't like May West, I ask you, lol. To answer your question jemborg, even though I haven't really sat down and asked my dad nor have I taken a substantial amount of time to think about it, in retrospect I would say that my father is impartial.

He does not hate nor like, but simply view. Being that he loves the show Johnny Bravo (great show if you get the chance to watch it, but the first few seasons are the only good ones) and enjoys a quality CG movie from time to time, I would think his observations are merely that, his own personal observations. For me though they always seemed to strike a chord. As a youth your always trying to justify your choices to your parents (or at least I did, god knows I shouldn't speak on every ones behalf).

Usually though he criticized games trying to look very real, games like Fallout 3, where texturing issues or stiff characters were usually pointed out. But the projection of a persons body 10 feet skyward from a grenade explosion were met with my dad's official decree of "That was awesome! How did you do that?!". Really it comes down to what catches a persons interest.

Mae West:"A hard man is always good to find" LOL

Good answers Myzlo- esp. "Really it comes down to what catches a persons interest." Too right mate.

Ironically, grenade explosions' portrayal ("somersault bombs") are the most unrealistic things of all- irl they tear one apart on the spot!

Cheers.